Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



sT'ARnNe 1.51; CCARTHY-I15 DEVICE 5px INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

'Arriucmou mm 'AY M,1914.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET1.

, qfivam cones T. l. McCARTHY.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL commisnom ENGINES. v APRLICATION FILED- MAY 14,1914. v 1,149,661, Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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srnitrriq'e'bnvmuron INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may-concern i Be it knownthat I, THoM sJ. MCCARTHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in .the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Start- Devices for Internal-Combustion Engmes, of which thefollowing is a specification. .My invention relates to starting devices for internal combustion engines and is. es-

pecially adapted for the engines of automobiles, the present invention being an improvement upon .my former Patent No. 1,646,825.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a means for readily supplying the cylinders of an engine with an initialproper gaseous 'mixture'while the engine iis at rest, so that itWill instantly start into-,operation upon the application of the ignition spark,

in contradistinction to the usual priming despray. One of, the purposes of my invention is toprovide anapparatus which may be ap plied to existing engines and to arrange the controlling parts, that they may be opervices which merely introduce a gasolene ate'd' by the driver while in position at the steering wheel. H v

In the accompanying d'rawlngs, Figure 1, is a side'elevation of an apparatus embody ing my invention, showing the manner of attaching itjto the engine; Fig. 2, ls/a vertical section of the apparatus on line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. ,3, is a cross-sectlon on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, is a cross-section on the line of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, is a ver. tical section of the apparatus on the hue 5.-5 of Fig, 4; Fig. 6, is an enlarged detail section of the pump air inlet valve; Fig. 7, is a vertical section of thc pr1m1 ng cup and attached. parts; Fig; 8, 1s a side elevation of another form of the prim ng cup; Fig. 9, is a top plan view of the puming cup; Fig. 10,- is a side elevation of a modified arrangement of my starting device showing the manner of, attachment to the dash-board of an automobile; Fig. 11, is a front elevation of thesame; and Fig. 12, is an enlarged sectional view on thelin'e 12 I 12 of Fig. 11.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 10, 1915, Application filed May 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,507.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my starter connected to a four cylinder in-, ternal combustion engine 2, having a carbureter 4, connected to the manifold 6, lead mg to the respective cylinders of the englue, and the usual water circulatingpipes tons. The maintank 14 of the starter is preferably bolted at 15, 15 to the dash board 17.

The tank cover 18 is provided with a dependingannular rim which is threaded upon the tank and is made air tight by a gasket 19, preferably fitting in an annular recess.

filling aperture is closed by the screw plug 20, and a pressure gage 22, is threaded into an apertured boss 23. Y

A squared or hexagonal boss 24 is adapted to receive a wrench to tighten or remove the cover.

The tank 14 is. provided with internal air ducts, terminating just below the top and which are preferably formed by tubular ribs 26, 27 cast integral with the walls of the tank and which, in effect, form air ducts within the walls. The duct through stem 26, connects at its lower end with a cross duct 29, having a port 30, leading into the pump barrel 32, and controlled by a valve 34. This valve is provided with a guiding stem which extends into a recess in the plug 36, and is normally spring-pressed upwardly against its seat as shown in Fig. 5. Access to the channel-29, may be had by removing the plug 38. hen the pump piston 40 is drawn upwardly by the handle 42, air is evident that the pump may were completely and cast integral-with the tank, but it is be cast to the tank or otherwise secured thereto. 9

Cast integral with the bottom of the tank are ribs 17, 4:8 and 19 which converge and unite in a central boss 50 and these ribs con tain ducts which intersect in the central boss. The duct 52 in the rib 17, extends from the lower end of the air-duct 27, but is closed at the outer end. The duct 53in the rib 48, is open at the outer end and receives an aperture threaded nut 54, through which extends the threaded stem of a needle valve 56, which is operated b a thumb-piece 57. The duct-.53 isinterior y shouldered to receive a washer 58, a packing 59 being held between the washer and the nut 54. The duct 53 connects with the outlet opening (50, in the bottom wall of the fuel supply tank 14, as shown in Fig. '2. The inner end of both ducts 52 and 53 are reduced in diameter to small passages or channels.

The rib 49 contains a large duct 65, which constitutes a mixing or gasifying chamber, and from which lead the several ducts passing into the nipples 67, which connect with the several distributing tubes 12, leading to the engine cylinders.

The outer end of the duct is shouldered to receive the washer 68, against which the packing 7 0 is held by the nut 72, the latter having a threaded aperture to receive the stem of the main air and fuel controlling valve 7 5, having an operating handle 7 6, secured to the outer end of the stem 7 7 By referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that the inner reduced ends of the air and fuel ducts 52 and 53 intersect below the central axis of the valve 7 5, so that as the valve 75 is withdrawn, the stream of gasolene or other fuel issuing from the duct 53 impinges directly upon th blast of air issuing under great pressure from the duct 52 underneath the valve 75. If these ducts were not eccentric but were in line with the axis of the valve 75, the stream of air and the jet of gasolene would not meet unless the valve withdrawn into the chamber 65, but would strike opposite sides of the valve. The result would be a mixture of air and more or less finely divided particles of gasolene but not in any sense a gaseous mixture. I have discovered that an instantaneous explosive gaseous mixture is obtained only if the jet of gasolene issuing from the duct 53 receives the direct impact of the stream of air as it issues under high pressure from the duct 52 A et of gasolene which is merely forced into the engine cylinders in the form of a spray even under pressure from an atomizer will not form an explosive mixture and I wish herein to point out the radical diiferenceibetween a mere priming mixture of atomized gasolene and a vaporized gaseous explosive mixture. The latter will explode in the normal manner under the action of an electric The explosive gaseous mixture 'fills mixing and distributing chamber '65 an from thence passes through the separate pipes 12 to the several combined gas inlet and priming valves 80, connected to the respective engine cylinders, as shown in .Fig. 1. The spark plugs are indicated at 82.

The construction of my combined gasinlet and priming cock is shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The threaded end of the stem or standard 83, screws. into the end of the en gine cylinder and is secured by a lock-nut 84. The upper end of the stem carries a bowl 86, w ich may be used as a priming cup when a priming or cleansing liquid is to be introduced into the cylinder. A branch stem 83 carries a casing head 87, having a ball check 88, operating in a cavity 89 closedby a screw. 90. The lower end of the casing 87 is provided with a threaded recess to receive an apertured clamping nut 91, and has a tapering inner end to receive a wedge-shaped bushing 92. The end of the gaseous fuel pipe 12 passes through the aperture in the nut 91 and through the bushing which is wedged tightly around the pipe by means of the nut.

At the intersection of the ducts passing through the main and branch stems, I provide an enlarged transverse aperture which is tapered to receive a tapered valve stem 95, held in pisition by a spring 96, bearing against a boss on the stem and a washer 97 held by a pin 98 in the small end of the 'alve stem. The opposite end of the valve stem is provided with a wing 99 by which it may be turned through 90, between the stops 101 and 102 projecting from the main stem 83. The valve stem is provided with a duct extending transverselytherethrough and a branch duct leading at right angles thereto upon one'side only, as shown in Fig. 7. It is evident, therefore, that when the valve is in the position indicated in Fig. 7, a passage extends therethrough connecting the ducts in the main and,.branch stems so that fluid pressure in the pipe' 12 may lift the ball check 88 and pass through the branch and main stems into the engine cylapparent from the foregoing description of the separate parts of the apparatus. The tank 14 having been filled, thehand pump a2 is given a few strokes until the gage 22 indicates the desired pressure, say from 125 to 150 pounds, thereby subjecting the gasolene in the tank and the air in the duct 27 to this pressure. The needle valve 56 is opened the desired amount and finally the main controlling valve 75 is opened. The jet of gasolene passing through the opening 60 and issuing through the duct 53 is struck by the air-blast issuing from the duct 52 which instantly vaporizes the liquid and the resulting explosive gaseous mixture is forced into the engine cylinders, it being understood that the valves 95 are in the position shown in Fig. 7. The instant the sparking apparatus is set in operation, the explosive mixture will be exploded in the cylinders and the engine will start.

In Fig. 1, I have shown the tank and pump attached to the inside of the dash board but it is sometimes desirable to mount the fuel tank upon the outside of the dash board and' in that case, I prefer to connect the pump in a diagonal manner and preferably supporting the upper end in a plate 33, secured to the dash board as indicated in Figs. 10 and 11. The gage 22, is screwed into a nipple 23 exteriorly threaded to receive a flanged nut 16, the nipple thereby serving also as a support for the tank.

This arrangement requires less room on the dash board and is lessconspicuous. In either arrangement the operating parts of my vapor starter are within easy access of the operator while in position at the steering wheel.

I have now described in detail the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the purpose of disclosing an embodiment of my invention, but I am aware that various changes may be made therein within the scope of my claims and without departing from the spirit of my invention. I have pointed out wherein my invention differs from merely atomizing or spraying the gasolene or liquid fuel into the engine. As distinguished from such prior devices my invention consists in instantaneously vaporizing liquid fuel to form an explosive gaseous mixture, simultaneously forcing said explosive gaseous mixture directly into the engine cylinders andigniting the mixture tostart the engine.

1. A vapor starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, comprising a liquid fuel tank, means for placing a body of liquid fuel and a body of air Within said tank under pressure, a mixing chamber connected by separate channels with sa d air and said liquid in the tank, controlling means for ing through said channels to impact with each other in said chamber, and means for delivering the resulting explosive gaseous mixture directly into the engine cylinders;

2. A vapor starting apparatus for inter-- nal combustion engines, comprising a liquid fuel tank, tubes connected with the upper part of said tank outlet air ducts, a pump connected to one end of said inlet duct, a tubular member secured to the bottom of said tank forming a mixing chamber and having branch members provided with passages connected respectively to said outlet duct and to the lower part of said tank, a manually operated valve controlling the communication between said passages and said mixing chamber, and separate means connecting said chamber with the respective engine cylinders.

3. A vapor starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, comprising a liquid fuel tank, tubes connected with the upper part of said tank, and forming inlet and outlet air ducts, a pump connected to one end of said inlet duct, a tubular member secured to the bottom of said-tank forming a mixing chamber and having branch members provided with passages connected respec tively to said outlet duct and to the lower part of said tank, a valve controlling said and forming inlet and passage into the tank, a manually operated 4. A vapor starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, comprising a liquid fuel tank, tubes connected with the upper part of said tank and forming inlet and outlet air ducts, a pump connected, to one end of said inlet duct, a tubular member secured to the bottom of said tank forming a mixing chamber and having branch members provided with passages connected respectively to said outlet duct and to the lower part of said tank, a manually operated valve controlling the communication between said passage and said mixing chamber, separate means connecting said chamber with the respective engine cylinders, and means for separately controlling said connections with the cylinders.

5. In a starting apparatus for internal combustion engines, a combined vapor inlet and priming cock for the engine cylinders,

comprising a main stem or standard adapted to be threaded into the end of the cylmder and having a channel extending therethrough, a priming cup carried thereby and connecting with said channel, a branch stem having a channel intersecting the channel 4 v mama:

branch channel, 'and-a. manually actuated the branch chnnn in thb mnin' stem, a. check valve in said simultaneously clos the passage through valve at the intersection of said main and Intestim n '3 whereof'I afilx my signature branch channels havlng main and' branch in presence 0 two witnesses.

' pqssa'ges which may be turned to connect 1 smd passages and snnnltanequsly clos'e'com- Witnesses:

THOMAS fJ. MCCARTHY;

- mnni cation with said'primlng cup, or to EUGENE C. Bnowir,

connect said cup and main passage and. KLHARTIG. 

